I was a kid, figured it out while soldering a neon lamp in a some old gear.
It flashed every time I toggled the trigger
Thanks. I can certainly understand how the electromagnetic pulse would flash a nearby neon, and I’m sure I’ve had the same thing happen to me back in the day, but I didn’t understand how a spark could actually be generated at the tip from back EMF, especially when my experience indicated otherwise.
But between the large e-mag pulse, and Ian.M’s explanation, I can see how today’s sensitive chips wouldn’t likely stand a chance.
Not that I was ever likely to use a Weller gun again for my electronics work, lol.